Raising Tom
by CelesteRiddle89
Summary: What if Tom Riddle Jr was found at a young age by long lost family at the orphanage and raised with love? What path will he take? Tom Riddle Jr and world owned by J.K.


"Are you sure this is the place, Cele?" Kaarina Riddle asked her twin sister.

"Yes I'm sure. He's definitely here Kaa." Celeste, or Cele, answered.

The two sisters looked at the building for Wool's Orphanage with disdain on their faces. The building had obviously seen better days.

"Drab little place, isn't it?" Kaarina asked.

"It is. Time to get our little cousin out of there." Celeste replied. "If it's this bad on the outside, I'm not exactly fond of the idea of seeing the inside."

Without another word shared between them, the two sisters headed inside.

By the time they finally left two hours later with a three year old Tom Riddle Jr in tow, they had learned much about the way the orphanage was run.

"I'd like to buy that orphanage and fire that woman." Celeste seethed as they port-keyed to their house. "She cares more about money than about any of those kids. They may be muggles but they still deserve better than that."

Kaarina, who was carrying Tom, glanced at her sister with a raised eyebrow. "You looked in her mind, didn't you?"

"I had to." Celeste admitted. "Her words were rubbing me the wrong way the entire time. And I was right to." She looked down. "She knew what Tom is. She was purposely turning those kids against him."

"One child at a time, sis." Kaarina chuckled before glancing at Tom. "Speaking of, the little guy has fallen asleep already.

"Well, let's get him to bed then." Celeste softened. "Put a charm on his room to let us know if he wakes."

The sisters put the young Tom to bed in his room, marking the beginning of the new little family's lives together.

The next six months were slow going as the sisters worked to show the boy that he was loved and undo all of the hatred he had been shown in the orphanage. They didn't spoil him unnecessarily, but they didn't necessarily let him want for anything either. They spent time with him often, either altogether as a trio or just one of them at a time with him. And all their meals were spent eating together. But they also gave him space to play or read on his own so as not to overwhelm him. Although they repeatedly told him they loved him, they never once expected him to say it back until he felt comfortable in the idea of saying it on his own.They gave him lessons and praised him when he succeeded but also encouraged him when he tried but didn't quite succeed.

One day, he searched out the sisters in the library with questions they weren't expecting so soon.

"Cele? Kaa?" Tom called hesitantly from the doorway.

"Yes Tom?" Celeste immediately put her book down and looked his way.

"What is it little man?" Kaarina asked.

"Where are my parents?" He asked as he stepped into the room.

The sisters looked at each other in shock that he had asked before looking back at him. They knew well that the overseer at the orphanage hadn't properly told him how he ended up at the orphanage but she had told Kaarina when they got him six months before who had shared the story with Celeste.

Celeste walked over to him and scooped him up. "Well, your mum, she died after having you. She was really sick. But she wanted to be sure that someone would take care of you and raise you. So she'd gone to the orphanage and died after giving birth to you there." She stroked his hair as she sat back down on the couch. "It's not that she didn't want you. She was just too sick after being alone for so long. I'm sure she had no idea that you would've been treated so poorly. Magic can do a lot, but it can't always keep someone sick from passing away."

"And my dad?" The little boy looked expectantly at Kaarina.

"Well, we're ashamed to say that he didn't want you. Being muggle and all that he is. But that's because he doesn't understand the treasure that you are." Kaarina explained. "Not all muggles are so unkind towards witches and wizards like your father and the other kids at the orphanage. Most are afraid of what they don't understand or just of those that are different. But hey, your father's loss is our gain. You will never have to worry about losing our love. We promise that."

Tom bit his little lip as he thought about what they told him before nodding in understanding. "Thank you for saving me from the orphanage." He kissed Celeste on the cheek. "Love you Cele." He then squirmed from her arms and went over to Kaarina, climbing onto her lap and kissing her cheek as well. "Love you Kaa." With a smile, the biggest one they'd seen him have so far, he got down from Kaarina's lap and hurried out the room to go play in his own room.

The twins were in shock once more, each touching their cheeks as they looked at each other.

"Did he just…?" Celeste started

" Say he loved us?" Kaarina finished. "I think he did.


End file.
